Well ... not really alien, of course. This is actually a tray of butterhead lettuce growing in a display at the NASA INFINITY Science Center located just off Interstate 10 in South Mississippi. The lettuce is grown using an "aeroponic process" that uses advanced LED lighting techniques, but no soil. The lettuce is literally grown in metal trays. The exhibit is a demonstration of a growing technique that could be used as a food source for future space travelers, and to possibly help feed starving populations on Earth. Once the lettuce has been removed from the chamber with the violet-colored LEDs, it is the typical green lettuce color.